Ken Laban's not wrong about the Mo'unga-less Crusaders

I’m fully aware that French International players participation into Top 14, European Cups & 6 Nations will hinder their preparation for a WC. Its nothing new. Galthié & Co also noted that everything didn’t go the way it was planned in 2020 when he took over the national team. They had made detailed projections for players experience, number of caps, etc. that weren’t realistic in the long run to 2023 WC.

As for player welfare, since 2020, they have asked their players’ clubs to record and give them full data access to some set of metrics they had defined together concerning more than 120 targeted players (form U20 to senior players). Meanwhile, they were also frequently interviewing them in order to control their psychological state and motivation.

So I’m not particularly worried about Galthié’s ability to precisely know the real condition, mental & physical, of anyone he’s going to select to play for the team. From my humble level of observation, what I would guess about his current strategy, taking into account all those realistic limitations (game time, wellness, etc.) he is facing, is that he is trying to replicate for the national team what the clubs are doing in Top 14, in particular Toulouse (and now Bordeaux as well) since many seasons:

- drill as many quality players, as young as possible, to the core game plan and don’t build your team around individualities; then rotate players depending on who’s available for the day and keep the system flowing.

I think the best time to note the rankings is after the RC is done. And both the NH and SH competitions are done.

NZ having two home games against the Boks means they have more in their favour in terms of winning the RC this year.

One things for certain, if the Boks do beat the ABs at home, at Eden Park and win the RC, this bok team will certainly make a name for themselves.

However. I do think that Aus and Arg are going to potentially throw a spanner in the works.

I enjoyed France’s tactics in the 6 Nations.

I think France’s A, B or C team can beat anyone on the day because of Galthie’s astute tactics. Tomorrows game is going to be very interesting…

Galthie doesn’t have the players to beat the ABs in terms of their profile and experience. So in many ways this tour is a real test of his ability to outsmart the opposition.

I don’t think a punt on the French to pip the All Blacks is such a bad idea. Although the All Blacks really should win tomorrow.

We are cursed. Although with the 24 team format and round of 16 in RWC 2027 we would have to win a knockout game for the first time in our unions history just to have a chance at falling at the usual quarter final hurdle!

We would have to first make history in order to maintain history! Saved and condemned at the same time.

How Irish is that?!

Altrad (Montpellier), Lorenzetti (Racing 92) & Wild (Stade Francais) have a combined NET worth of more than €10 billion! Altrad even gets to kit sponsor the national team despite the conflict of interest that would bring.

They are all cash cows as teams who go some length without winning major trophies still yield huge returns on the money their owners pump into them. The prize money is of little consequence even to serial winners. Any time they need a cash injection, they just hit up an investment partner.

Fiducial – the largest private shareholder in the league - has a 12% interest in Toulouse. They wouldn’t have to pay much in to get a cut of the €700 million broadcast deal, the bulk of which goes to the Top 14.  

Dupont – the league and indeed the games poster boy – is the product of rural dairy farmers rather fittingly as he is milked. His salary is a fraction of what he generates for his club, his country and for the sport.  Cash cow. And now recovering from his second major injury in as many years.

The clubs certainly don’t mess about when it comes to pumping money into the game but look at it in inflation terms.  It’s never at a higher rate year on year than the increase in their TV and broadcast deals. 

The club game has always been France’s priority. They got kicked out of the 5 Nations for almost 15 years because they paid players to play the game at club level despite its amateur status at the time. They were so very resistant to the eventual professionalism of the game. And openly so.

Their former Vichy government quite literally banned rugby league as a sport to clear the way for rugby union!

It’s a great league to watch and well supported but it’s a money league.  If you are going to mix metaphors and compare sports it’s not the French soccer league but the Saudi oil leagues that is a better comparison.  That’s what the Top 14 is in relative terms.

A lot of their current dealings around salary caps are shady. Proper shady. It was only a couple of seasons ago when Jaminet was ‘loaned’ 450K as a disguised payment to buy out his own contract to then move clubs. Interest free as well…

With 15 games of international rugby broadcasted on free to air tv, it’s the most important vitrine for French rugby, because it’s generating a lot of commercial revenues every single year (not like a WC). It’s also the main source of revenue for FFR budget, beside those LNR subsides to federal authorities.

There is two things almost 100% certain in European Rugby:

- Top 14 format won’t change*;

- Six Nations won’t change*.

We all know that WR is trying to push for change but, because it’s really working more than fine, it’s not going to happen.

(*) probably not this century, but maybe next millenium? All people saying otherwise are not realist.

Does that increase the threat of the Boks losing the #1 ranking, or does it increase the threat to NZ, Ireland and France of losing to the Boks (and seeing the Boks increase their rankings lead by EOY 2025)?

France sent a strong team in 1996 and won. They then won back-to-back slams in 1997 & 1998 and made the 1999 RWC final, having destroyed NZ in the semi.

France sent a strong team in 2009 and won. They went all the way to the 2011 RWC final only to lose by a single point. 8 players from that final played in the 2009 game.

When rugby turned into a fully professional sport, they founded the LNR and it was finaly agreed to get rid of those divisions after many decades of perpetual infighting between clubs and supporters over those divisions’ balance. Then the Top 14 and Pro D2* were born.

(*) Pro D2, same format but with 16 clubs in a single pool).

So no.